Equine therapists get boost from Leadership SETX

By Ester Navarro

Updated
7:16 pm CDT, Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Members of Leadership Southeast Texas gathered at Stable - Spirit, a therapeutic equestrian facility in Rose City which is still recovering from Harvey damage, to build new “car washes” to replace those lost. Car washes are a sensory-therapy tool used by clients during their riding lessons. The project was one selected from two two projects pitched by Youth Leadership Southeast Texas groups. Orangefield and Bridge City-based youth members offered proposals, with Bridge City’s Stable - Spirit project being the one selected by the adult leadership. Entergy also presented stable owner Katie Durio with a check for $1000, which was a grant for which she had applied to assist families in paying for their therapeutic riding lessons. Photo taken Tuesday, April 23, 2019 Kim Brent/The Enterprise less

Members of Leadership Southeast Texas gathered at Stable - Spirit, a therapeutic equestrian facility in Rose City which is still recovering from Harvey damage, to build new “car washes” to replace those ... more

Photo: Kim Brent / The Enterprise

Photo: Kim Brent / The Enterprise

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Members of Leadership Southeast Texas gathered at Stable - Spirit, a therapeutic equestrian facility in Rose City which is still recovering from Harvey damage, to build new “car washes” to replace those lost. Car washes are a sensory-therapy tool used by clients during their riding lessons. The project was one selected from two two projects pitched by Youth Leadership Southeast Texas groups. Orangefield and Bridge City-based youth members offered proposals, with Bridge City’s Stable - Spirit project being the one selected by the adult leadership. Entergy also presented stable owner Katie Durio with a check for $1000, which was a grant for which she had applied to assist families in paying for their therapeutic riding lessons. Photo taken Tuesday, April 23, 2019 Kim Brent/The Enterprise less

Members of Leadership Southeast Texas gathered at Stable - Spirit, a therapeutic equestrian facility in Rose City which is still recovering from Harvey damage, to build new “car washes” to replace those ... more

Photo: Kim Brent / The Enterprise

Equine therapists get boost from Leadership SETX

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Tropical Story Harvey flooded most of the homes and businesses in Rose City when it ripped through the region 20 months ago. It also devastated Stable-Spirit, a therapeutic riding facility for disabled children and adults that has been around for 15 years.

“Everything was five to seven feet under water,” executive director Katie Durio said Tuesday. “It took us 60 days until we could get the horses back in. Everything inside the barn and left outside had to be thrown out.”

But Stable-Spirit rebounded and is now providing 36 to 42 hours of equine therapy each week to people with autism, Down syndrome and traumatic brain injury, as well as veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The facility took another step forward on Tuesday when a group of local volunteers from Leadership Southeast Texas came out to help with a building project.

Jessica Holmes and three other members framed up a therapy tool called a “car wash.” Though it doesn’t spray water, the stand includes brightly colored swimming-pool noodles that hang down like strips of washcloth in a drive-through car wash.

“As children ride the horses through the carwash, the children get to play and it’s a sensory therapy for the kids,” Holmes said.

Holmes, who works for Entergy, also arranged to have the company present Durio with $1,000 to defray costs for clients who can’t afford to pay full price for the 30-minute sessions, which aren’t typically covered by insurance.

Duro seemed elated at the presentation of the oversized check, putting her hands to her face.

“This is going to help us pay for the services for our clients so they will not need to pay as much,” she said later.

Durio also has applied for grants to rebuild therapy rooms, offices and other infrastructure lost during Harvey.